When Less Is More

OPINION

Our Position: Health Professionals Should Recognize The Harm Of Providing Too Much Care.

October 12, 2004|By Lilac

Many Americans think they have the world's best health care. But that's not true. What they have is more of it -- more doctor visits, tests, treatments and hospital stays.

If what matters is a long, healthy life, with a minimum of pain and disability, the United States isn't even in the top 10. Death not only comes earlier than it needs to, but costs more. Especially in Florida.

Consider that Medicare spends two to three times as much per beneficiary in Miami as elsewhere.

Indeed, across the nation, there are huge regional variations in medical practice. A Dartmouth Medical School team that studies geographic variation reported last week that even the most highly regarded teaching hospitals in the country vary wildly in the intensity of care.

But the Dartmouth team says an increase in quantity of services does not offer better quality. In fact, it found that patients who underwent the most intensive treatment regimens had a small but real increase in mortality.

And Florida hospitals were among the most intensive treatment centers in the country. Teaching hospitals in Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa were in the most-intensive-treatment category, with Orlando close behind.

Only Shands Hospital at the University of Florida achieved a ranking that was better than average.

In Florida, doctors and hospitals just do too much to people. It's time for this state's medical practice style to change.